Thunder Bay's Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute officially launched an interactive educational web platform, Learning2Mine.ca, to help First Nations youth explore the world of mining.
Developed by Oshki-Pimache-O-Win, The site is considered a vehicle to inform young people to consider careers in mining. It features a mining game guided by First Nation traditional knowledge and modern mining practice. Gamers learn the basics of being a miner by exploring the land and discovering hidden resources and artifacts underground.
“While playing Waaniike,” said e-learning coordinator Gordon Kakegamic, “youth setup mining gear and equipment to reveal and excavate a wide variety of minerals – it uses mining processes, terms and equipment to help build mining literacy.
“The portal was developed to spark youth’s interest in mining, to encourage them to develop their skills and learn about training programs that are available.”
Learning2Mine.ca uses videos, job profiles and a “career visualizer” with a questionnaire to match youth with careers in the industry based on their answers.
Institute executive director Rosie Mosquito wants to see Aboriginal people eventually employed as engineers, environmental technicians, project managers, geophysicists and working in administration. “This new portal encourages young people to prepare for a career in the mining industry and most importantly provides them guidance in how to get started.”
Learning2Mine.ca was developed with Goldcorp, Sudbury's Cambrian College and Algoma Games for Health in Sault Ste. Marie.
